The present invention relates to a surgical theatre infrared (IR) camera and a surgical IR sensor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a surgical IR camera and sensor adapted to monitor a surface temperature of a patient for during a thermal surgical procedure.
Plastic surgeons, dermatologists and their patients continually search for new and improved methods for treating the effects of an aging or otherwise damaged skin. One common procedure for rejuvenating the appearance of aged or photodamaged skin is laser skin resurfacing using a carbon dioxide laser. Another technique is non-ablative laser skin tightening, which does not take the top layer of skin off, but instead uses a deep-penetrating laser to treat the layers of skin beneath the outer epidermal layer, tightening the skin and reducing wrinkles to provide a more youthful appearance.
For such techniques for laser skin tightening treatment, it has been difficult to control the depth and amount of energy delivered to the collagen without also damaging or killing the dermal cells. Much of the energy of the treatment pulse is wasted due to scattering and absorption in the outer epidermal layer, and the relatively high pulse energy required to penetrate this outer layer can cause pain and epidermal damage.
Some skin tightening techniques include using a hollow tubular cannula that contains an optical fiber connected to a laser source. The cannula can be inserted subcutaneously into a patient so that the end of the fiber is located within the tissue underlying the dermis. The source emits a treatment output, for example an output pulse that is conveyed by the fiber to the dermis, which causes collagen shrinkage within the treatment area, thus tightening the skin.
To improve one's health or shape, patients have also turned to surgical methods for removing undesirable tissue from areas of their body. For example, to remove fat tissue, some patients have preferred liposuction, a procedure in which fat is removed by suction mechanism because despite strenuous dieting and exercise, some of the patients cannot lose fat, particularly in certain areas. Alternatively, laser or other light sources has been applied for heating, removal, destruction (for example, killing), photocoagulation, eradication or otherwise treating (hereinafter collectively referred as “treating” or “treatment”) the tissue.
In applications including those mentioned above, it is often desirable to monitor the temperature of a specific location, for example, a location within a surgical field, in real time. Such monitoring may prevent, for example, skin or other tissue damaged caused by, for example, overheating.